US favours India-Pakistan dialogue to resolve issues

Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) Reiterating once again that its Kashmir policy remains unchanged, the United States has said Pakistan and India can work through any issues through dialogue and it encouraged them to do so.

The US "certainly continued to encourage further dialogue" between the two nighbours, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters Monday when asked to comment on a speech by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif underlining the importance of maintaining peace in South Asia.

The spokesperson said she had not seen the Sharif speech. But "our position remains the same that we believe that Pakistan and India can work through any issues through dialogue, and we encourage that to, of course, continue."

"And our policy on Kashmir has not changed," Psaki said when told that Sharif had also described Kashmir as "a vital outstanding dispute which must be resolved."

"We still believe that the pace, scope, and character of India and Pakistan's dialogue is for those two countries to determine," she said adding, "We certainly continue to encourage further dialogue" between the two nations.

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